Food & Drink

We Ranked All 15 Waterloo Sparkling Water Flavors-and the Winner Won by a Landslide

By Jeanette Donnarumma Parade - Food and Drink Stories

Updated May 27, 2026 7:03 PM

Over the last few summers, flavored sparkling water has completely taken over people's fridges, coolers, cupholders and pool bags-and for very good reason. Sometimes plain water just doesn't cut it when you want something refreshing and fun, but you also don't want to drink a sugary soda all day long. That's where brands like Waterloo Sparkling Water have really found their lane. The flavors (15 of them!) are bold, creative and way more exciting than many of the "hint of flavor" seltzers out there.

One of the things I personally love most about sparkling water is that you still get that bubbly, satisfying soda experience without the sugar crash. And I'm far from the only one who feels this way.

For this taste test of all of the Waterloo Sparking Water flavors ranked, I recruited my husband Jimmy, who is a huge sparkling beverage fan (aka a huge Diet Coke guy) and almost always has a cold can of something sparking within arm's reach. I wanted a second opinion from someone who drinks sparkling water daily and has strong feelings about flavor balance, sweetness and carbonation.

On our little assigned date afternoon, we armed ourselves with ice-filled glasses and 15 chilled cans to sip through. We chugged our way through fruity favorites, citrus blends and Guy Fieri's wildly chaotic Flavortown flavors to determine which ones are actually worth stocking in your beverage fridges this summer.

What Are the New Waterloo Flavors in 2026?

Waterloo added several new flavors to its lineup in 2026, including Banana Berry Bliss and Melon Medley, while also bringing back Lemon Italian Ice as a permanent flavor after strong fan demand.

What Does Guy Fieri Have To Do With Waterloo?

Guy Fieri teamed up with Waterloo for a series of over-the-top "Flavortown" sparkling water collaborations inspired by nostalgic desserts and summer flavors. Recent releases include Coconut Lime Cooler, Root Beer Float and Apple Pie à la Mode.

Previous limited-edition flavors included Lemon Italian Ice, Huckleberry Cobbler and Spiced Mango Sorbet.

How I Tested These 15 Waterloo Flavors

To keep the tasting as fair as possible, Jimmy and I chilled every flavor thoroughly before pouring them over ice in identical glasses.

We tasted each flavor side-by-side, paying attention to aroma, carbonation, sweetness perception, balance and how accurately the flavor matched the name on the can.

We also considered whether we'd actually want to drink a full can again or if one sip was enough.

15 Waterloo Sparkling Water Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

Here's how the ranking sipped out after trying all 15 Waterloo flavors:

15. Guy Fieri's Flavortown Apple Pie à la Mode

Before even opening the can, I wasn't entirely convinced I wanted to consume sparkling apple pie in beverage form. The first smell delivered heavy apple pie spice notes, but after sipping, the flavor leaned more "pumpkin spice candle" than actual pie à la mode with minimal vanilla notes.

Jimmy pointed out that the can artwork made it feel far creamier and more dessert-like than the actual flavor delivered. Not for us...

14. Grape

This one landed firmly at the bottom for both of us. To me, it tasted exactly like children's grape cough syrup, while Jimmy compared it to a melted purple ice pop. Either way, we both agreed it leaned heavily into that unmistakably artificial "grape flavor" territory that feels more candy-like than refreshing.

13. Guy Fieri's Flavortown Lemon Italian Ice

As two New Jersey kids who grew up loving Italian ice, we were genuinely excited for this one, but it didn't quite live up to the nostalgic promise. Instead of tasting sweet, tart and punchy like a true lemon Italian ice, it mostly tasted like a muted lemon sparkling water. It wasn't bad, but it definitely didn't transport us to the boardwalk the way we hoped.

Related: I Tried 14 Store-Bought Lemonades and the Winner Was Clear

12. Banana Berry Bliss

One of Waterloo's newest flavors, Banana Berry Bliss immediately made us both nervous because banana is such a dominant flavor. Surprisingly, the banana wasn't overwhelming, but it definitely gave nostalgic banana candy vibes...the kind you'd get from coin machines at pizza places as a kid.

Jimmy thought the berry balanced things out well, while I kept describing it as "sparkling smoothie energy." Fun to try, but not something I'd personally stock up on.

Related: We Tried 14 Different Orange Sodas and You Can Buy the Winner at Walmart

11. Guy Fieri's Flavortown Coconut Lime Cooler

This one smells intensely coconut-forward at the very crack of the can. Unfortunately, for me, the best way I could describe the taste was "the way sunscreen smells," which is both oddly specific and somehow accurate.

Jimmy actually liked this one most out of the Guy Fieri lineup, but we both wished the lime came through more strongly to brighten everything up and cut down on the intense coconut flavor.

10. Cherry Limeade

This flavor landed very squarely in the middle for both of us. Neither of us hated it, but neither of us felt particularly excited by it either. I wanted a sweeter, punchier cherry flavor, while Jimmy thought the citrus dominated a little too much. It's drinkable, but slightly forgettable.

Related: Which Twisted Tea Flavor Is the Best? I Tried All 13 to Find Out

9. Raspberry Nectarine

Raspberry isn't typically my favorite flavor because it can easily overpower everything else, but I appreciated that the nectarine still came through here. To me, it tasted more peachy than nectarine-specific, while Jimmy thought the raspberry notes hit first and the nectarine followed afterward. Overall, it felt balanced and refreshing.

8. Summer Berry

This flavor immediately gets bonus points for its adorable patriotic can design, which feels perfect for putting out in coolers an ice buckets for summer parties and holiday weekends. Flavor-wise, though, both of us agreed it leaned much more blueberry-forward than the mixed berry blend advertised on the can.

Still, it was refreshing, fruity and very easy to drink.

Related: Fizzy and Fruity: 15 Sanpellegrino Flavors, Ranked

7. Lemon-Lime

Classic for a reason. This flavor tasted exactly how you'd want a lemon-lime sparkling water to taste: crisp, refreshing and balanced between both citrus flavors. Nothing groundbreaking, but very reliable.

6. Melon Medley

This ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the tasting. I immediately said, "Oh, I really like this" after the first sip because you rarely find melon-flavored sparkling waters.

Instead of leaning heavily watermelon, it delivered strong cantaloupe and honeydew vibes in a way that felt unique and unexpectedly refreshing.

5. Guy Fieri's Flavortown Root Beer Float

Without question, this was the strongest Guy Fieri flavor of the bunch. It delivered noticeable sassafras flavor alongside actual vanilla notes (unlike the a la mode situation), which made it feel far more accurate to its inspiration than the other dessert-inspired options.

Jimmy wished it had a creamier finish, but we both agreed this one genuinely worked and are intrigued to pour it over some vanilla ice cream soon.

Related: These 19 Root Beer Brands Are What Ice Cream Float Dreams Are Made Of

4. Peach

Simple, refreshing and very well executed. Sometimes single-flavor sparkling waters work best because there's no competition happening in the can, and that's exactly the case here.

The peach flavor is strong without becoming artificial, and I could absolutely see this being used as the base for brunch mocktails with fresh fruit.

3. Strawberry

This one tasted incredibly clean, refreshing and bright. The strawberry flavor was strong in the best possible way, and I immediately thought it would make an amazing sparkling strawberry lemonade when mixed with fresh lemonade.

Easily one of the most drinkable flavors of the entire lineup.

Related: I Asked 3 Chefs the Secret Ingredient to the Best-Ever Lemonade, and They All Said the Same Thing

2. Ruby Red Tangerine

Both of us loved this far more than we expected to. It's light, citrusy and incredibly refreshing, with just enough sweetness to keep it balanced without becoming tart.

I immediately thought it would pair beautifully in a skinny margarita, while Jimmy described it as "delightful" from the very first sip.

1. Blackberry Lemonade

This flavor has quietly become a staple in our fridge thanks to the seasonal variety pack at Costco, and after tasting everything side-by-side, it fully earned the top spot. While it definitely leans more blackberry-forward than lemonade, the balance works beautifully.

It's refreshing, flavorful and feels like the kind of sparkling water you could happily drink all summer long. Jimmy described it as "berry-forward with minimal citrus," but we both agreed it was simply delicious.

Final Takeaways

After tasting 15 different Waterloo flavors back-to-back, one thing became very clear: Waterloo isn't afraid to have fun with sparkling water. Some flavors worked far better than others, but the best ones managed to feel refreshing, nostalgic and genuinely exciting without relying on sugar or sweeteners.

Whether you prefer classic citrus, fruity summer flavors or Guy Fieri collab dessert concepts, there's definitely a Waterloo flavor that deserves a permanent spot in your fridge this summer.

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 5:44 PM.